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Pure Land Buddhism
I hope this is the right place for this (if not, please feel free to move it), but, does anyone know anything about Pure Land Buddhism, like what it's main practices are, beliefs, etc?, and, also, if there are any recommended books and/or sites on it?.
Thanks for any help.
David.
Thanks for any help.
David.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Still, I'm sure someone will be willing to actually discuss this.
I like the play by play, that made my day
Pureland Buddhism is pretty interesting though. Thick Nhat Hanh described it as a university paradise.
[SIZE=-1]I]Faith[/I. Believing in ourselves means believing that the [True Mind] ... is not a physical manifestation, and not the reflection of entangling objects: that it extends through time without any before or after and through space without any boundaries. Though it follows causal conditions all day long, it never changes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]All of space in the ten directions and all the worlds countless as atoms are originally things created by this Mind of ours. Although we are deluded and confused, if for a single moment we return to this Mind, we are sure to be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss originally inherent in our own mind, and be troubled no more by worry and doubt. This is called "believing in ourselves".[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Believing in others means having faith that the Tathagata Sakyamuni certainly did not lie, and that the World Honored One Amitabha certainly did not take his vows in vain. It means being certain that all the Buddhas of all the directions never equivocated, and following the true teachings of all the enlightened ones. It means establishing our will to seek birth in the Pure Land, and being prey no more to doubt and confusion. This is called "believing in others".[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Believing in the causal basis means having faith that even Buddha-name invocation carried out in a scattered confused state of mind is still a seed of enlightenment, and[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]that this is even more true of invoking the Buddha-name singlemindedly and without confusion. [If we sincerely and singlemindedly invoke the name of Amitabha Buddha], how can we fail to be born in the Pure Land? This is called "believing in the causal basis" [i.e., that recitation is the cause of enlightenment].[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Believing in the result means having deep faith that the Pure Land and all the forms of goodness (spiritually superior beings) that are assembled there are born from the Buddha Remembrance Samadhi, the meditative concentration that comes from reciting the Buddha-name. When you plant melon seeds you get melons, and when you plant beans you get beans. [Effect follows causes] like a shadow follows a physical shape, like an echo responds to a sound. Nothing is sown in vain. This is called "believing in the result".[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Believing factual phenomena means having deep faith that although this mind of ours is ephemeral, the worlds of the ten directions that appear based on it are inexhaustible. The Land of Ultimate Bliss really does exist ten billion Buddha-lands away, adorned with ultimate pure adornments. This is not some fable from Chuang-tzu. This is called "believing factual phenomena".[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Believing in inner truth (noumenon) means having deep faith that the ten billions Buddha-lands (worlds) are in reality not outside our Mind. Since there is really nothing outside of this Mind, we have deep certainty that the whole array of beings and surroundings in the Western Paradise is a set of reflections appearing in our mind. All phenomena are merged with inner truth, all falsity is merged with truth. All practices are merged with True Nature. All others are merged with oneself. Our own inherent mind is all-pervasive, and the Buddha-mind is also all-pervasive, and the true nature of the minds of sentient beings is also. all-pervasive. It is like a thousand lamps in one room, each of whose lights shines on all the others and merges with the other lights without any obstruction. This is called "believing in inner truth" (Noumenon).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]I]Vows[/I. Once we have these forms of faith, then we must understand that the mundane world is the defilement brought about by our own minds, and we must detach from it; the Pure Land is the purity brought about by our own minds, and we must joyously seek it.[9] We must renounce defilement utterly, until there is nothing that can be renounced, and we must grasp purity utterly, until there is nothing that can be grasped.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Therefore the commentary Miao-tsung said:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Many sutras teach Pure Land practices of various kinds: contemplating the image of Buddha, contemplating the concept of Buddha, doing prostrations, making offerings, practicing the five forms of repentance and the six forms of mindfulness, and so on. If you consummate any of these practices, [and dedicate the merits toward rebirth in the Pure Land], you will be born there.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The method of reciting the Buddha-name is the one that is the most all-conclusive, embracing people of all mentalities and the one that is easiest to practice. This is why the compassionate one, Sakyamuni Buddha, explained it to Shariputra without being asked. Reciting the Buddha-name can be called the number one expedient among all the expedient methods, the supreme complete truth among all the complete truths, the most perfect of all the pefect teachings.[/SIZE]
when you utter this mantra, you (or at least i do, this is how i was taught) hold the wish for you and as many people as you can to be reborn in amida's pure land. i think this is the main practice but i'm not a pure land buddhist. amida is a very commpassionate buddha, avolokitesvara herself is actually his sidekick, so when you utter these words (namu - amida - butsu) you align yourself with your compassionate heart and literally "take refuge in amida buddha" or "give adoration for the amida buddha", something like that.
I happen to be Jodo Shinshu, and here the uttering of Namu Amida Butsu is not done to attain anything at all. Rather it is an expression of gratitude for having been embraced by Amida's compassion.
Because we are within Amida's grasp there is no self-power requirement to try to attain an enlightenment experience.
A wave is already embraced by the ocean...it doesn't need to try to be one with the ocean...it already is regardless of if the wave sees this or not.
Pure Land has a lot to it if one looks into it. Unfortunately on the surface it can look similar to Christianity and as a result many people dismiss it.
But the deleted post asked how PL is different from Christianity. I responded to a similar question in another thread, but the obvious differences are these:
Amida is not the creator of the universe
Amida does not answer prayers
Amida is not a judge, rewarding or condeming.
There are definitely PL buddhists who take the 3 sutras literally, and if any are here they can respond to that, but I take them as symbolic, and see Amida as a personification of Suchness, and Sukhavati as a symbol of Nirvana. I liken Shinjin to Satori, and reciting the Nembutsu to letting go in meditation.
btw in Jodo Shinshu services we recite the eightfold path, and so on. It is entirely Buddhist.
I just came upon this article from trycycle. It is an interview with a father and and son who are both Sensei's (I've met the Father...he is the auther of two fairly well known books, "River of water, River of Fire, and Turning bits of rubble into gold...he also has done some translations. I will be meeting the son in two months when he is a guest minister at my Temple)
Anyway this article allows them to explain things much better than I ever could.
http://www.tricycle.com/interview/the-buddha-infinite-light-and-life
Mainpractice for me (and probably for most pureland buddhists) is reciting "Namo Amitabha" (it is pronounced differently on different countries)..
Also you can do bowing, offerings, reading sutras etc. Most important is to be sincere and have faith in Amitabha and also do your best to act good in daily life.
These two sutras tell about Tathagata Amitabha and his Pure Land:
http://www.e-sangha.com/alphone/0366.html (short)
http://www.e-sangha.com/alphone/360.html (long)
General buddhist teachings are all the same for purelanders too: moral teachings, emptiness, compassion, karma and so forth.
http://www.budaedu.org/en/book/
This site was also discussed on other topic... I have ordered from there, it's completely reliable and free, you don't even need to pay postage and they can send you some great books of pure land buddhism... Also great poster of Amitabha!
http://www.dharma-media.org/media/kagyu/drigung/chetsang/amitabha_dewechen.pdf
And this is teachings by HH The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche...
Hope this helps
Thanks hjym2, I'll definitely be reading those links with interest, and, also, thanks to everyone else who posted, it'll all help.
Thanks very much.
David.
Thanks for that book suggestion, I'll try and check it out
David.